10 July 2014

She won’t be tamed.
A fiery, unconventional Scot, Adaira Ferguson wears breeches, swears, and has no more desire to marry than she does to follow society’s dictates of appropriate behavior. She trusts no man with the secret she desperately protects.

He can’t forget.
Haunted by his past, Roark, The Earl of Clarendon, rigidly adheres to propriety, holding himself and those around him to the highest standards, no matter the cost. Betrayed once, he’s guarded and leery of all women.

Mistaking Roark for a known spy, Adaira imprisons him. Infuriated, he vows vengeance. Realizing her error, she’s appalled and releases him, but he’s not satisfied with his freedom. Roark is determined to transform Adaira from an ill-mannered hoyden to a lady of refinement.
He succeeds only to discover, he preferred the free-spirited Scottish lass who first captured his heart.

I quite enjoyed The Earl’s Enticement. What starts off as a terrible case of
mistaken identity, the relationship between Adaira and Roark develops into a
full-fledged romance characteristic of this genre. While I no longer read
historical romances as frequently as I did as a teen, I still enjoy picking one
up every now and then, especially when the heroine is a feisty and intelligent
minx who snubs her nose at societal dictates. Ms. Cameron certainly delivered
all that I hope for in a book of this genre and then some.

Addy is a wonderfully entertaining
heroine. I found myself laughing at her antics several times during the story
and saddened for her when faced with some of the harsher aspects of life -
especially the loss of a friendship. As expected, Roark is the sinfully
attractive Lord who takes it upon himself to tame they little hoyden. While
both characters are well written and entertaining in their own right, it is
their interactions with one another that and their combined chemistry that
intensify their story. As expected, sexual activity between the two is
non-existent until WELL into the book, but when it does happen, it is so worth
the wait that even Roark is surprised at the outcome.

I must admit that I wavered as to
whether or not this was a 4 or 5-star rating for me. Although I enjoyed this
book thoroughly, I reserve a 5-star rating for books that make it to my re-read
list and I almost never reread historical romances. That said, once I saw the
blurb for Highlander' s Hope, Ewan
and Yvette's book that precedes this one, I realized that when I get the
opportunity to read it, I will reread The
Earl's Enticement, thus earning it a 5-star rating. Ms. Cameron has
produced a well written novel that should please readers of the genre. I look
forward to reading more of her work.

Marquardt advanced a few more inches. His face glistened with a fine sheen of sweat. “I’ll assume you knew there were horses available as well.”
After a paralyzing moment when she couldn’t exhale due to the fear hammering against her ribs, she released a measured breath and raised her chin in defiance.
“Which leads me to question why you deliberately deceived me?” His piercing indigo eyes skimmed her from hair to boots, lingering for a deliberate moment on her hips and chest before he smirked and lifted his disinterested glacial gaze to meet hers once more.
Adaira narrowed her eyes.
Infuriating man.
He found her lacking in feminine assets, yet he still indulged in an ogle? She cast a swift glance beyond him. Brayan must have decided he wanted no part in the abduction. Even she was having second thoughts.
What of Yvette then? No, this must be done.
“Deliberately?” She firmed her mouth, while raising the whip and settling her other hand around the sheath.
Her scheme would still work. It would be more difficult to carry off though. Truth to tell, a great deal more difficult, but she was confident she could do it.
Marquardt’s mouth twisted. “The blame is partially mine. It’s obvious you’re a skinny female, though your attire suggests otherwise. No doubt you’re a hoyden to boot.”
Arrogant toad.
Everything he said was true, so why did his words rankle? Mayhap it was his perfectly enunciated speech delivered in tones dripping with censure. She curled her lips. She was about to give him good cause for further disapproval.
Adaira raised the crop and settled into a defensive stance. “I care even less about your opinion of me, than I do the horse shite I stepped in earlier.”
His dark brows swooped together. He glanced downward, kicking the toe of his boot into the ground while shaking his head. “And she swears . . . like a common harlot,” he muttered. “A lack of Godly discipline and moral upbringing, to be sure.”
She scowled at him. “Do you do that often, talk to yourself?”
Wasn’t that a sign of madness? Ewan had hinted Marquardt was unhinged.
He waved his hand languidly at a fly buzzing near his face. “Your parents failed to instill in you the qualities a lady of gentle-breeding ought to possess.”
She pointed the crop at him. “Och, you pompous, Sassenach cur! I don’t care a trow’s hairy bum what you think of me, but you’ll not speak poorly of my parents.”
He swatted at the insect again. Even that was done with controlled precision. One crisp wave right. Another crisp wave left.
Adaira lunged and jabbed the whip in his direction, then danced a few steps backwards. “You dare to speak to me of appropriate behavior?” She laughed. “You? A known spy?”
His pupils dilated in surprise. Or was it irritation?
Thrust. Retreat.
“You who tried to attack Yvette and abduct her?”
Jab, jab. Retreat. The last lunge brushed his arm.
Instantly Marquardt’s demeanor changed. His face hardened into chiseled lines, his body went rigid, and his eyes narrowed to furious slits. “I’ve had enough of your confounded whip and your false accusations.”

Award winning, Amazon best-selling, and multi-published historical romance author, Collette Cameron, has a BS in Liberal Studies and a Master's in Teaching. A Pacific Northwest Native, Collette’s been married for thirty years, has three amazing adult children, and five dachshunds. Collette loves a good joke, inspirational quotes, flowers, the beach, trivia, birds, shabby chic, and Cadbury Chocolate. You'll always find dogs, birds, quirky—sometimes naughty—humor, and a dash of inspiration in her novels. Her motto for life? You can’t have too much chocolate, too many hugs, or too many flowers. She’s thinking about adding shoes to that list.